A.Word.A.Day Archives
from http://wordsmith.org/awad
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Date: Thu Oct 1 00:01:05 EDT 2009
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--expediency
X-Bonus: Let no man pull you low enough to hate him. -Martin Luther King, Jr., civil-rights leader (1929-1968)
This week's theme: Words derived from hands and feet
expediency (ek-SPEE-dee-uhn-see) noun
1. Consideration of what is advantageous or easy or immediate over what
is right.
2. The quality of being suited for a purpose.
[From Latin expedire (to make ready, to set the feet free), from ex- (out of)
+ ped- (foot). Ultimately from the Indo-European root ped- (foot) which gave
us peccadillo (alluding to a stumble or fall), pedal, impeccable, podium,
octopus, and impeach.]
Today's word in Visual Thesaurus: http://visualthesaurus.com/?w1=expediency
-Anu Garg (words at wordsmith.org)
"Political expediency means that a lot of planning is still short term."
Elizabeth Sidiropoulos and Lyal White; How Brazil Beats Poverty Trap;
Mail & Guardian (Johannesburg, South Africa); Aug 25, 2009.
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Date: Fri Oct 2 00:01:08 EDT 2009
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--mortmain
X-Bonus: It is hard enough to remember my opinions, without also remembering my reasons for them. -Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche, philosopher (1844-1900)
This week's theme: Words derived from hands and feet
mortmain (MOHRT-mayn) noun
1. The perpetual ownership of property by institutions such as churches.
2. The often stifling influence of the past on the present and the living.
[From Anglo-Norman mortmayn, feminine of morte (dead) + main (hand),
from Latin mortua manus (dead hand). Ultimately from the Indo-European
root man- (hand) that's also the source of manage, maintain, maneuver,
manufacture, manuscript, and command.]
Today's word in Visual Thesaurus: http://visualthesaurus.com/?w1=mortmain
Notes: Imagine a B-movie scene of a dead hand stretching out of a grave and
you have the picture of the word mortmain. The idea behind mortmain is of a
dead hand reaching beyond to hold a property in perpetuity. By extension,
the word describes the past dictating the present in an oppressive manner.
Unlike the passing of an asset to a child on the death of a parent,
institutions such as churches hold property forever. Over time, through
donations, etc., they can acquire a large amount of real estate which
cannot be distributed or revert to the crown. Also, in such cases there
is a loss of revenue from inheritance tax. The English King Edward I
passed the Statutes of Mortmain in 1279 and again in 1290 to limit such
holding of property in perpetuity without royal authorization.
-Anu Garg (words at wordsmith.org)
"On what grounds do we allow the dead to bind the living? Courts used to
adhere to a 'rule against perpetuities' and were suspicious of mortmain,
of the 'dead hand' of documents drawn up long ago."
Christopher Caldwell; Philanthropy Goes to the Dogs; Financial Times
(London, UK); Jul 5, 2008.
"Martins felt that somehow this knowledge would pay the mortmain that
memory levies on human beings."
Graham Greene; The Third Man; 1949.
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Date: Mon Oct 5 00:01:06 EDT 2009
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--ecru
X-Bonus: In reality, every reader is, while he is reading, the reader of his own self. -Marcel Proust, novelist (1871-1922)
Autumn is here. Last week marked the arrival of fall, the festival of colors.
As you relish the golden yellows, bright oranges, and cheery reds of falling
leaves as a feast for the eyes, use this week's words in A.Word.A.Day to
celebrate the variety of hues.
ecru (EK-roo, AY-kroo) adjective
Of a pale brown color, like raw silk or unbleached linen; beige.
[From French écru (raw, unbleached), from Latin crudus (raw).
Some cousins of this word are cruel, pancreas, and crude.]
A sample of images in ecru: http://images.google.com/images?q=ecru
Today's word in Visual Thesaurus: http://visualthesaurus.com/?w1=ecru
-Anu Garg (words at wordsmith.org)
"Like those of us doomed to repeat history, women seem to buy the same
item over and over again. The Buffer's small point of information 'You've
already got a top just like that' is rebuffed with: 'No, the old one
(relative term, here) is taupe*. The new one is ecru.'"
Tom Shields; Men's Place is Secondary in Any Battle of the Wardrobe;
Sunday Herald (Glasgow, UK); Sep 4, 2005.
* http://wordsmith.org/words/taupe.html
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Date: Tue Oct 6 00:01:08 EDT 2009
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--russet
X-Bonus: In one and the same fire, clay grows hard and wax melts. -Francis Bacon, essayist, philosopher, and statesman (1561-1626)
This week's theme: Autumn colors
russet (RUS-it) noun
1. A moderate to strong brown.
2. Any of various articles in this shade: a homespun cloth, apple,
potato, etc.
[From Old French rousset, diminutive of rous (red), from Latin russus,
from ruber (red). Ultimately from the Indo-European root reudh- (red)
that is also the source of red, ruby, rouge, rubric, robust, and corroborate
(literally, to make stronger).]
Today's word in Visual Thesaurus: http://visualthesaurus.com/?w1=russet
-Anu Garg (words at wordsmith.org)
"Vieux Lyon is a mass of red, russet, and gray tiled roofs."
Andrea Bolitho; Light & Lively Lyon; France Today (New York); Sep 29, 2009.
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Date: Wed Oct 7 00:01:06 EDT 2009
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--sorrel
X-Bonus: Without deviation from the norm, progress is not possible. -Frank Zappa, composer, musician, film director (1940-1993)
This week's theme: Autumn colors
sorrel (SOR-uhl) noun
1. A light reddish-brown color.
2. A horse of this color.
[From Old French sorel, from sor (yellowish brown).]
1. Any of various plants of the genus Rumex having a sharp taste,
used as salad greens.
2. Any of various plants of the genus Oxalis having a sour taste.
[From Old French surele, from sur (sour).]
Today's word in Visual Thesaurus: http://visualthesaurus.com/?w1=sorrel
-Anu Garg (words at wordsmith.org)
"The horse, a sorrel color male temporarily named Wildfire, is small and
might make a good pasture companion for another horse."
Susan Burgess; Horse Abandoned; Sun Sentinel (Fort Lauderdale, Florida);
Sep 28, 2009.
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Date: Thu Oct 8 00:01:07 EDT 2009
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--umber
X-Bonus: Never, never be afraid to do what's right, especially if the well-being of a person or animal is at stake. Society's punishments are small compared to the wounds we inflict on our soul when we look the other way. -Martin Luther King Jr., civil-rights leader (1929-1968)
This week's theme: Autumn colors
umber (UM-buhr) noun
A natural brown earth, used as a pigment; a reddish-brown color.
[Via French from Latin umbra (shade, shadow), which also gave us the words
umbrella, umbrage, adumbrate, and somber. Umbria, a region of ancient Italy,
has also been suggested as an origin for this term. The color burnt
umber is made by roasting umber.]
Today's word in Visual Thesaurus: http://visualthesaurus.com/?w1=umber
Umber: http://wordsmith.org/words/images/umber.jpg
[photo: Iconofile http://www.iconofile.com ]
-Anu Garg (words at wordsmith.org)
"Seeing the red, blue, umber and yellow palettes,' Ms. Ross said,
'is like seeing an old familiar black-and-white movie suddenly,
strangely colorized.'"
Eve M. Kahn; Televisions With a Proud History: The New York Times;
Sep 24, 2009.
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Date: Fri Oct 9 00:01:06 EDT 2009
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--subfusc
X-Bonus: Plenty of kind, decent, caring people have no religious beliefs, and they act out of the goodness of their hearts. Conversely, plenty of people who profess to be religious, even those who worship regularly, show no particular interest in the world beyond themselves. -John Danforth, priest, ambassador, senator (b. 1936)
This week's theme: Autumn colors
subfusc (sub-FUSK) adjective
Dark, drab, or gloomy.
noun
Dark, formal clothing worn at some universities for exams and special
occasions.
[From Latin subfuscus (brownish) sub- (slightly) + fuscus (dark) which also
shows up in the word obfuscate. Also see the color fuscous
http://wordsmith.org/words/fuscous.html]
Today's word in Visual Thesaurus: http://visualthesaurus.com/?w1=subfusc
Students wearing subfusc at Balliol College, Oxford University:
http://wordsmith.org/words/images/subfusc_large.jpg
[photo: Piers Nye http://www.flickr.com/photos/28257897@N07/3656930529/ ]
-Anu Garg (words at wordsmith.org)
"It darkened at Jil Sander, where Belgian designer Raf Simons produced
clothes for a cloudy summer in deep, subfusc shades."
Avril Groom; Bags of Style for Well-heeled; The Australian (Sydney);
Oct 1, 2008.
"The programme, a rather subfusc combination of Beethoven and Brahms,
was traditional."
Andrew Clements; Leipzig Go/Chailly; The Guardian (London, UK);
Sep 7, 2007.
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Date: Mon Oct 12 00:01:06 EDT 2009
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--curtilage
X-Bonus: The first symptom of love in a young man is timidity; in a girl boldness. -Victor Hugo, poet, novelist and dramatist (1802-1885)
"Good people do not need laws to tell them to act responsibly, while bad
people will find a way around the laws." While there's truth in Plato's
words, most of us fall somewhere between good and bad. And for people in
that spectrum, laws serve as good deterrents.
Like any other profession, the world of law has its own jargon. Even though
legal terms may seem designed to keep laypersons in the dark so that the
lawyers can charge hefty fees, there's a need for them. In a field where a
single word can make a world of difference, a succinct, and more importantly,
unambiguous vocabulary is essential.
May you never have to consult a lawyer (or a barrister, solicitor, attorney,
advocate, or whatever they are called in your land), but it's good to know
some of the legal jargon. This week we'll summons five of these terms to AWAD.
curtilage (KUR-til-ij) noun
An area of land encompassing a dwelling and its surrounding yard,
considered as enclosed whether fenced or not.
[From Old French courtillage, from courtil (garden), from cort (court).
Ultimately from the Indo-European root gher- (to enclose or grasp) that
is also the source of such words as orchard, kindergarten, French jardin
(garden), court, choir, courteous, Hindi gherna (to surround), yard, and
horticulture.]
Today's word in Visual Thesaurus: http://visualthesaurus.com/?w1=curtilage
"Obtaining a licence to step out beyond the curtilage of the site was
critical to the feasibility of this concept."
Rob Gregory; 10 Hills Place; Architects' Journal (London, UK);
Sep 10, 2009.
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Date: Tue Oct 13 00:01:06 EDT 2009
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--vis major
X-Bonus: Death must be so beautiful. To lie in the soft brown earth, with the grasses waving above one's head, and listen to silence. To have no yesterday, and no tomorrow. To forget time, to forgive life, to be at peace. -Oscar Wilde, writer (1854-1900)
This week's theme: Terms from law
vis major (VIS MAY-juhr) noun, plural vires majores
An unavoidable disruptive event (such as an earthquake) that none of the
parties is responsible for, which may exempt them from the obligations of
a contract. Natural instances of vis major are also called acts of God.
[From Latin vis major, literally, greater force. Also see force majeure:
http://wordsmith.org/words/force_majeure.html ]
Today's word in Visual Thesaurus: http://visualthesaurus.com/?w1=vis+major
"In any case, the dealer neither placed any evidence nor any documents
to indicate that any unforeseen circumstance of vis major had occurred
to prevent the delivery."
R.N. Sahai; The Dealer; Business Line (Chennai, India); Oct 20, 1999.
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Date: Wed Oct 14 00:01:06 EDT 2009
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--barratry
X-Bonus: Illegal aliens have always been a problem in the United States. Ask any Indian. -Robert Orben, magician and author (b. 1927)
This week's theme: Terms from law
barratry (BAR-uh-tree) noun
1. The practice of stirring up of groundless lawsuits.
2. An unlawful act by a ship's master or crew that harms the owner of the ship.
3. The buying or selling of positions in church or state.
[From Anglo-French baraterie (deception), from barater (to cheat), from
Vulgar Latin prattare, from Greek prattein (to do).]
Today's word in Visual Thesaurus: http://visualthesaurus.com/?w1=barratry
"A man with the same legal name as the lead character in the 1960s TV law
show Perry Mason is charged with barratry. He allegedly tried to solicit
former jail inmates for legal services."
Same Name, Different Fame for Perry Mason Accused of Soliciting Clients
for Houston Lawyer; Associated Press; Apr 16, 2009.
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Date: Thu Oct 15 00:01:05 EDT 2009
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--res gestae
X-Bonus: On the mountains of truth you can never climb in vain: either you will reach a point higher up today, or you will be training your powers so that you will be able to climb higher tomorrow. -Friedrich Nietzsche, philosopher (1844-1900)
This week's theme: Terms from law
res gestae (REEZ JES-tee, RAYS GES-ty) noun
Facts incidental to a case, admissible as evidence in a lawsuit.
For example, exclamations uttered by a robber during a holdup.
[From Latin, literally, things done.]
Today's word in Visual Thesaurus: http://visualthesaurus.com/?w1=res+gestae
"Evidence of a constable as to what was said to him by the victim of a
collision in the presence of the defendant 20 minutes after the incident
was hearsay evidence and not admissible as part of the res gestae."
Tobi Nickolas; Evidence 20 Minutes After Motor Incident Inadmissible;
The Times (London, UK); Jul 23, 1987.
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Date: Fri Oct 16 00:01:15 EDT 2009
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--novation
X-Bonus: We've all got both light and dark inside us. What matters is the part we choose to act on. That's who we really are. -J.K. Rowling, author (b. 1965)
This week's theme: Terms from law
novation (noh-VAY-shuhn) noun
The replacing of an obligation, a contract, or a party to an agreement
with a new one.
[From novare (to make new), from novus (new). Ultimately from
the Indo-European root newo- (new) that is also the source of
new, neo-, novice, novel, novelty, innovate, renovate,
misoneism (fear of change) http://wordsmith.org/words/misoneism.html
and novercal (stepmotherly) http://wordsmith.org/words/novercal.html ]
Today's word in Visual Thesaurus: http://visualthesaurus.com/?w1=novation
"They are essentially contracts meant to be honoured subject only to
agreed changes by novation."
S. Rajaratnam; Direct Taxes Code; The Hindu (Chennai, India);
Aug 31, 2009.
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Date: Mon Oct 19 00:51:05 EDT 2009
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--otiose
X-Bonus: The easy confidence with which I know another man's religion is folly teaches me to suspect that my own is also. -Mark Twain, author and humorist (1835-1910)
While growing up in India, I watched many puppet performances, dramas, and
movies. And my favorite: the magic shows!
In the magic shows, besides the standard fare -- sawing a girl in half,
making rabbits disappear, and the like -- there was a serial performance
called The Water of India. After every few acts, the magician would walk
to a pitcher on the table in one corner of the stage, lift it up dramatically
and announce, "Ladies and Gentlemen, The Water of India!"
He would turn the pitcher upside down to let water pour out. The vessel
was supposedly empty then, but after 15 minutes he would repeat this action,
and more water would pour from the jug. While he performed that trick and
I marveled at the magic pitcher that replenished itself, his assistants
would set up the next trick.
Well, consider this week's miscellaneous words theme the AWAD equivalent
of The Water of India. So, Ladies and Gentlemen, enjoy these assorted words
(while we put together next week's show of words, definitions, etymologies,
usage, pronunciations, quotations, and more).
otiose (O-shee-ohs, O-ti-) adjective
1. Superfluous.
2. Futile.
3. Indolent.
[From otium (leisure).]
Today's word in Visual Thesaurus: http://visualthesaurus.com/?w1=otiose
"I hung around that summer until my presence became otiose. Friends'
parents started asking me how long I would be in town."
Ian Frazier; Out of Ohio; The New Yorker; Jan 10, 2005.
"The measure is entirely otiose. There are already laws against harassment."
Dominic Lawson; What Fearful Hypocrites Ministers Are; The Independent
(London, UK); Feb 9, 2007.
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Date: Tue Oct 20 00:04:05 EDT 2009
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--mendicant
X-Bonus: He who praises everybody, praises nobody. -Samuel Johnson, lexicographer (1709-1784)
This week's theme: Miscellaneous words
mendicant (MEN-di-kuhnt) adjective
1. Living on alms.
2. Like a beggar.
noun
1. A beggar.
2. A member of any of various orders of friars forbidden to own property
and living on alms.
[From Latin mendicare (to beg), from mendicus (beggar), from mendum (defect).]
Today's word in Visual Thesaurus: http://visualthesaurus.com/?w1=mendicant
"But Metro, a perennial mendicant with no dependable dedicated, long-term
source of capital funding, could hardly afford to scrap or completely
rebuild the older cars."
Common Sense at Metro; Washington Post; Sep 30, 2009.
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Date: Wed Oct 21 00:04:05 EDT 2009
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--peremptory
X-Bonus: The idealists and visionaries, foolish enough to throw caution to the winds and express their ardor and faith in some supreme deed, have advanced mankind and have enriched the world. -Emma Goldman, social activist (1869-1940)
This week's theme: Miscellaneous words
peremptory (puh-REMP-tuh-ree) adjective
1. Dictatorial.
2. Expressing command or urgency.
3. Not admitting any question or contradiction.
[From Latin peremptorius (decisive), from perimere (to take away), from per-
(thoroughly) + emere (to take). Ultimately from the Indo-European root em-
(to take or distribute) that is also the source of words such as example,
sample, assume, consume, prompt, ransom, vintage, and redeem.]
Today's word in Visual Thesaurus: http://visualthesaurus.com/?w1=peremptory
"'Easily provoked by minor irritations,' wrote Dimbleby about this period,
'[Charles] became uncharacteristically impatient and peremptory.' The smallest
things would prompt verbal abuse or 'sudden outbursts of rage'."
Catherine Bennett; In Princes We Trust ... to Do Absolutely Nothing Useful;
The Observer (London, UK); Sep 27, 2009.
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Date: Thu Oct 22 00:03:06 EDT 2009
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--encomium
X-Bonus: One law for the lion and ox is oppression. -William Blake, poet, engraver, and painter (1757-1827)
This week's theme: Miscellaneous words
encomium (en-KO-mee-uhm) noun
Glowing praise.
[From Latin encomium, from Greek enkomion, from komos (revel).]
Today's word in Visual Thesaurus: http://visualthesaurus.com/?w1=encomium
"The speech cheered the faithful no end, as did Sarah Brown's smooth and
skilful introduction of her husband. Yet though her encomium went down
well with the party, it nauseated many television viewers."
Ruth Dudley Edwards; Why Mrs Brown Should Have Skipped the Heroics;
Irish Independent (Dublin); Oct 4, 2009.
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Date: Fri Oct 23 00:03:05 EDT 2009
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--gimcrack
X-Bonus: It is impossible to defeat an ignorant man in argument. -William G. McAdoo, lawyer and politician (1863-1941)
This week's theme: Miscellaneous words
gimcrack (JIM-krak) noun
Something cheap and showy, of little use.
adjective
Showy, but worthless.
[Of uncertain origin, perhaps an alteration of Middle English
gibecrake (small ornament), possibly from Old French giber (to shake).]
Today's word in Visual Thesaurus: http://visualthesaurus.com/?w1=gimcrack
"Uncle Rabid Prophet TechEye has worshiped more gimcrack bits of junk and
practiced more half-baked religions than all of Hollywood combined."
Bow Down And Open Your Wallet; Warsaw Business Journal (Poland); Aug 21, 2006.
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Date: Mon Oct 26 00:13:11 EDT 2009
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--byronic
X-Bonus: You talk when you cease to be at peace with your thoughts. -Kahlil Gibran, mystic, poet, and artist (1883-1931)
"Proper names that have become improper and uncommonly common" is how the
author Willard R. Espy described eponyms, and that is the theme for this
week's words in AWAD: words coined after people's names.
We are going to meet a poet, a novelist, a prophet, a statesman, and a
legislator. They wrote poems, novels, holy books, political treatises,
and laws.
In our quest for eponyms, we are going to visit England, Persia, Italy, and
Greece. All aboard!
Byronic (by-RON-ik) adjective
Having characteristics of the poet George Gordon, such as being melancholic,
passionate, and melodramatic, and having disregard for societal norms.
[After poet Lord Byron (1788-1824), who displayed such characteristics,
as did his poetry, i.e. a flawed character marked by great passion who
exhibits disrespect for social institutions and is self-destructive.]
Lord Byron: http://wordsmith.org/words/images/byronic_large.png
A little-known fact: He was the father of Ada Lovelace, today known as
the first computer programmer, who wrote programs for Charles Babbage's
analytical engine.
"Zenovich casts [movie director Roman] Polanski, whose face repeatedly fills
the screen with a Byronic luminosity, as a tragic figure, a child survivor
of the Holocaust haunted by the murder of his wife, the actress Sharon
Tate, at the hands of the Manson family."
Bill Wyman; Whitewashing Roman Polanski; Salon (New York); Feb 19, 2009.
"Laurie may have his pet theories as to why [Gregory] House-the-character
has become a cult -- the damaged, Byronic genius/healer who can say the
unsayable and (almost always) get away with it."
Stuart Husband; Hugh Laurie Interview; The Daily Telegraph (London, UK);
Jun 3, 2009.
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Date: Tue Oct 27 00:13:04 EDT 2009
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--orwellian
X-Bonus: We are all atheists about most of the gods that societies have ever believed in. Some of us just go one god further. -Richard Dawkins, biologist and author (b. 1941)
This week's theme: Eponyms
Orwellian (or-WEL-ee-uhn) adjective
Of or relating to a totalitarian state in which citizens' activities
are tightly controlled.
[After George Orwell, pen name of Eric Blair (1903-1950), whose novel
"Nineteen Eighty-Four" depicted a futuristic totalitarian state.
Also see Big Brother http://wordsmith.org/words/big_brother.html ]
George Orwell: http://wordsmith.org/words/images/orwellian_large.jpg
[Source: Wikipedia]
Today's word in Visual Thesaurus: http://visualthesaurus.com/?w1=orwellian
"Military satellites designed to guide nuclear missiles are being used
to monitor prison parolees and probationers in a technological advance
designed to reduce the nation's skyrocketing prison population. But
critics say it also raises the specter of an Orwellian future."
Gary Fields; Satellite 'Big Brother' Eyes Parolees; USA Today; Apr 8, 1999.
"The [remote deletion by Amazon of Orwell's books from customers' ebook
devices] prompted widespread criticism from Amazon customers, rights
advocates, and bloggers, on whom the Orwellian nature of Amazon's actions
were not lost."
Thomas Claburn; Amazon Settles Kindle Deletion Lawsuit For $150,000;
InformationWeek (New York); Oct 2, 2009.
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Date: Wed Oct 28 00:13:05 EDT 2009
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--manichean
X-Bonus: If I could be sure of doing with my books as much as my [doctor] father did for the sick! -Marcel Proust, novelist (1871-1922)
This week's theme: Eponyms
Manichean or Manichaean (man-i-KEE-uhn) adjective
Of or relating to a dualistic view of the world, dividing things into
either good or evil, light or dark, black or white, involving no shades
of gray.
[After Manes/Mani (216-276 CE), Persian founder of Manichaeism, an ancient
religion espousing a doctrine of a struggle between good and evil.]
Manes: http://wordsmith.org/words/images/manichean_large.jpg
[Source: Wikipedia]
Today's word in Visual Thesaurus: http://visualthesaurus.com/?w1=manichaean
"The most crucial feature of neoconservatism is its Manichean worldview,
wherein the Earth is pitted in an urgent struggle between purely good
and purely evil nations. As George W. Bush famously told then Sen. Joe
Biden: 'I don't do nuance.'"
Jacob Bronsther; What Do Neocons Have to Do With Obama?;
The Christian Science Monitor (Boston, Massachusetts); Sep 29, 2009.
"Here the schema is too obvious, and its Manichaean contrasts of dark/light,
good/evil don't resonate beyond the special effects that deliver them."
Judith Mackrell; Wind Shadow; The Guardian (London, UK); Oct 7, 2009.
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Date: Thu Oct 29 00:13:04 EDT 2009
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--machiavellian
X-Bonus: The saddest aspect of life right now is that science gathers knowledge faster than society gathers wisdom. -Isaac Asimov, scientist and writer (1920-1992)
This week's theme: Eponyms
Machiavellian (mak-ee-uh-VEL-ee-uhn) adjective
Characterized by cunning, deception, and expediency.
[After Niccolo Machiavelli (1469-1527), Florentine statesman and author
of The Prince, a political treatise describing use of craft and deceit
to achieve political power.]
Machiavelli: http://wordsmith.org/words/images/machiavellian_large.jpg
[Artist: Santi di Tito, 16th century]
How Machiavellian are you? Try the quiz: http://www.salon.com/books/it/1999/09/13/machtest/index.html
Today's word in Visual Thesaurus: http://visualthesaurus.com/?w1=machiavellian
"Rumours of Machiavellian plots and conspiracy theories have permeated
the period of mourning."
Darryl Broadfoot; Mitchell: End the Revisionism; The Herald (Glasgow,
Scotland); Nov 23, 2007.
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Date: Fri Oct 30 00:13:06 EDT 2009
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--draconian
X-Bonus: The tragedy of modern war is not so much that young men die but that they die fighting each other, instead of their real enemies back home in the capitals. -Edward Abbey, naturalist and author (1927-1989)
This week's theme: Eponyms
draconian (dray-KO-nee-uhn, druh-) adjective
Unusually harsh.
[After Draco (late 7th century BCE), Athenian legislator, noted for the
harshness of his code of laws.]
Today's word in Visual Thesaurus: http://visualthesaurus.com/?w1=draconian
Notes: Under Draco's laws even trivial offenses, such as idleness, brought
capital punishment. When asked why he had instituted the death penalty for
most offenses, he supposedly replied that the lesser crimes deserved it and
he knew of no greater punishment for more important ones. Could it be an
example of an aptronym http://wordsmith.org/words/aptronym.html (in Greek his
name means dragon)? His laws were said to be written in blood instead of ink.
When it comes to lawmaking, the name of one of Draco's successors has entered
the language in an opposite sense. The Athenian lawmaker Solon's reform to
make Draco's laws humane earned him a place in the dictionary as an eponym
meaning "a wise lawgiver".
"The 'criminalization of any criticism' of General Musharraf, his regime,
and other state functionaries was an unprecedented draconian measure
against the freedom of speech."
17 Retired Judges Want Revival of Constitution; Daily Times (Lahore,
Pakistan); Nov 28, 2007.